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A petition was launched by Te Taiao o Kawhia Moana, a group dedicated to the protection and conservation of the Kāwhia harbour, calling on the Ōtorohanga District Council to remove vehicle access from vulnerable areas of the inner harbour and to Support the development of new alternative access infrastructure.

The group says that local taonga species and ecosystems are being put at risk by current vehicle access and that The proposed Ocean Beach access way would provide a sustainable alternative that balances community access needs with environmental protection.

For this week’s Gert Action! Oto spoke to John Forbes, founding Chair of Te Taiao o Kāwhia Moana, to discuss the petition and the importance of protecting the harbour.

If you're interested in signing this petition, you can find it here:

Earlier this month, the government announced a turnaround plan for Kainga Ora - Aotearoa’s state and emergency housing agency.

Housing minister Chris Bishop said that the plan would refocus the agency on its core mission of building and managing social housing in a financially sustainable way, however the plan involves the sale of 900 state homes annually, resulting in a net increase of only 400 homes annually to house the waitlist of about 20,000 New Zealanders waiting for social housing.
 

For this week’s Get Action! Oto spoke to Vanessa Cole from Public Housing Futures to discuss a campaign calling on the government to build and purchase enough public housing to house people on the “True Waitlist” for public housing, which includes houseless people and those relying on accommodation supplements for rent who don’t qualify for public housing.

If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here:

Trans Tasman Resource Limited is an Australian Mining company who have been looking to acquire consents for a seabed mining project in the Taranaki bight for more than a decade.

The Taranaki bight is home to a biodiverse ecosystem and a crucial spot for local fishers, and so fierce opposition from locals has been able to thwart attempts by Trans Transsman Resource to gain consents for the project. 

However, with the introduction of fast-track legislation, there are concerns that the company may be able to bypass local opposition and environmental experts to gain consents and begin deep sea mining in the Taranaki Bight. 

For this week’s Get Action! Oto spoke to Charlotte Melser, a district councillor in Whanganui, about her petition to the local government to continue blocking attempts by Trans Tasman Resources to gain consents to mine in the Taranaki bight.

If you'd like to sign the petiton, you can find it here on our Action Station, or here on their official website.

Over the last two years, there have been a multitude of mechanical failures regarding the inter-islander ferries between the North and the South Island, which has brought great attention to the government. KiwiRail has requested a one-point-seven billion dollar funding request for a project to see the ferries repaired and ensure capacity for train transport as well.

Unfortunately, the government has declined the funding request, which could seriously impact the travel potential of goods and services, not to mention general transport, between the North and South island.

For this week’s Get Action! Sasha spoke to Dave Macpherson from The Future is Rail about a petition he started to ensure replacement Cook Strait ferries can carry trains.

If you’d like to sign this petition, click here.